Vikings Linebacker Cameron Smith Announces Retirement From NFL

Smith had open-heart surgery in 2020 and then suffered a concussion in his first game of this season.

Vikings linebacker Cameron Smith has retired from the NFL, he announced in an Instagram post on Wednesday evening.

For the past 18 years, football has been such a tremendous part of my life," the 24-year-old Smith wrote. "It has provided countless friendships, incredible memories, and invaluable lessons that will last a lifetime. When I had open-heart surgery last year, I grappled a lot with what I had been asking my body to do in order to play this great game. Ultimately, I’ve decided that I’ve been asking for it to do too much. 

After careful consideration and thorough discussion with my friends and family, I have made the difficult decision to retire from the NFL. I know this transition isn’t going to be easy, but I’m excited to tackle this next chapter of my life with the same passion pursuit that I did football. I am grateful for, and will forever cherish, the many opportunities that have been given to me through football. I truly appreciate the support from all my friends, family, the entire Vikings organization, USC, Athletes First and everyone who has been by my side along the way. Thanks again, Cam."

Last year, after Smith tested positive for COVID-19 and had additional testing done for protocol reasons, doctors discovered that his heart was enlarged. He ended up undergoing open-heart surgery to fix a bicuspid aortic valve that he was born with. It's possible, as Smith himself has said, that getting COVID may have saved his life.

The former USC linebacker missed the entire 2020 season but was determined to return to the field and play football this year. He got back into shape, was medically cleared, and had been practicing with the Vikings since May, competing for the team's No. 3 LB job and looking impressive throughout training camp.

Unfortunately, Smith suffered a concussion in the preseason opener against the Broncos. It's unclear if he was already considering retirement due to what he went through with the heart situation or if the concussion made him re-evaluate things.

Either way, Smith has decided to hang up the cleats and move on to the next stage of his life. It wouldn't be surprising to see him get into coaching at some point.

The Vikings selected Smith in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft after a standout career at USC, where he made three All-Pac 12 teams. The Roseville, CA native played in five games for the Vikings in 2019, recording eight tackles.

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all season long. Also, follow me on Twitter and feel free to ask me any questions on there.